AnyCity, World

I’ve heard both sides of the argument.. From the Raw eaters, “Raw is so fresh and so pure” and the anti-Raw, “The texture and flavor is so weird”
Whether raw sushi or raw oysters or raw anything, the question is simple..

Do YOU eat raw foods??

Salmon Sashimi

Raw Oyster

I may be the most open-minded eater you’ll ever meet.. I’ll try almost anything atleast once. I know chefs that don’t even eat some of the stuff they cook.. but that’s another entry.. So my answer is yes to raw! What’s your preference?

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Gretna , LA

Sometimes when I’m too lazy to drive across the river to Kanno Sushi.. Cafe Zen on the West Bank is a very good substitute! I know people like to hate on and act like they’re real “sushi aficionados” because they don’t eat “Rolls and stuff”.. I eat whatever is good. I love sashimi and all things raw, but I do enjoy the cooked side of things too! Here’s to my favorite West Bank sushi joint..

Tiger Eye Roll (Cuttlefish)

Dragon Roll

Baked Salmon

So for lunch we had a few different rolls.. I believe the first one was called the Tiger Eye roll.. crab meat and salmon wrapped in nori and cuttlefish, finished with eel sauce? It was good.. the flavors and textures meshed together really well. The second was the Dragon Roll.. a combination of tuna, eel, avocado, and crabmeat.. with crunchy tempura. The roll is huge and the fish is fresh. Last is the Baked Salmon Roll.. Salmon stuffed with crabmeat and topped with a sweet yuzuish sauce? It all works really well together.. as far as ordering, the tiger eye and baked salmon had similar flavor profiles, I would order one or the other.. it was a rookie mistake.

Overall Rating:  1/2 (out of 7 )

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New Orleans, LA

It’s been a while.. sorry for my absence.. life has been very busy! I’ll try to update more regularly..

As a chef, you sometimes walk into a restaurant and think to yourself, “Whoa.. I want to own a place like this someday” A restaurant where the service matches the ambiance and the ambiance matches the food. After many years of cooking and traveling, Chef John Harris has found a home at 3637 Magazine Street. Chef Harris’ vision has turned into a reality named ‘Lilette’.

 Braised Veal Cheeks Salad

For the first course we had the Braised Veal Cheeks with Baby Greens and Horseradish Vinaigrette. The Veal Cheeks were cooked and seasoned perfectly. Only one problem, the portion size.. it’s never enough!! But still very good!

Roasted Muscovy Duck Breast

Pan Roasted Alaskan Cod

The first of the two entrees was the Roasted Muscovy Duck Breast with Creamy Polenta, Fennel and Coriander Jus. The combinations of the rich Roasted Duck along with the Fennel and Coriander really set it off.. And the finish it off with the Creamy Polenta helped to mellow it all out very nicely. The second entree was the Pan roasted Alaskan Cod with Mushrooms, Roasted Potatoes and Marsala Butter. I loved everything about this dish! The crispy, tender and moist Cod left nothing to be desired..the rustic sauce along with the mushrooms and roasted spuds were all definitely worthy of praise.. 

The dessert was like a mini chocolate cake with a raspberry sauce.. I forget what the quenelle was.  Anyways, the occasion was my girl friend’s birthday. So the restaurant is romantic yet it’s casual and comfortable enough to host business meetings. Regardless of the many accolades Lilette has received, I feel that this gem is one of the city’s finest restaurants..

New Orleans, LA

K-Pauls restaurant is a New Orleans landmark.. Home of the Blackened Redfish and all things cajun and creole. Paul Prudhomme is one of the chefs in the industry that I really look up to. I grew up watching him on PBS right after Julia Child. I greatly respect the guy and I really do enjoy his food.. Here’s my experience at K-Pauls..

KPaul’s Bread

Fried Oysters

When you get there.. the place is very classy and distinctly New Orleans. I love the open kitchen, it has a great feel and adds to the overall expeience. The bread basket is filled with a variety of bread which include molasses bread and a jalepeno bread.. all very unique. The Fried Oysters, which are not featured on the menu (they have to be asked for), are very delicious. The only complaint would have to be the portion size. Too small? haha

Blackened Stuffed Pork Chop Mushroom Zinfandel

Blackened Louisiana Drum

Classic Shrimp Etouffee

One of the first entrees we ordrered was the Blackened Stuffed Pork Chop Mushroom Zinfandel. I thought the flavors were right on .. well seasoned but just a touch overcooked. When cooking pork you don’t have very much room for error, cook it too little it’s not safe to eat.. cook it too much, it’s too dry… This pork chop was just a tad bit dry. The second entree was the Blackened Drum. The beautiful thing about New Orleans is that everything comes strongly seasoned! Sometimes it can be a little too crazy, but I liked the blackened drum.. some people found the blackened fish a bit too strong, so order accordingly. Last was my dish, the Shrimp and Crawfish Etouffee.. a ton of seafood, perfectly seasoned and just plain delicious!

K-Pauls is a great place to take a date. It’s in the heart of the French Quarter so it has that Nawlin’s vibe. It’s a perfect restaurant for visitors to get a taste of what New Orleans is all about. The prices are on the higher end. Parking is a little tough to come across but you can get validated parking at a near by hotel.

Overall Rating: 1/2  (out of 7 )

www.kpauls.com

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New Orleans, LA

A while back I did an entry on GW Fins. But the pictures were terrible and I decided to scrap that entry.. Here I am many months later, trying to do a better job at it. Here’s my shot..GW Fins, whose name suggests, is a restaurant known for it’s seafood. It’s just off of Bourbon Street right on Bienville..

Fins’ Biscuit

Bibb and Arugula

Smoked Sizzling Oysters

We started off with the Bibb and Arugula Salad and the Smoked Sizzling Oysters. The Bibb and Arugula Salad was composed of Kalamata Olive dressing, toasted pine nuts, roasted red peppers and shaved reggiano. Not the most impressive looking salad, but all of the flavors were really good. I’m a big fan of the “Smoked Sizzling Oysters”.. the oysters are juicy and plump. Nicely seasoned too! I like my oysters cooked anyway the chef desires.. and raw is always an option!

New Bedford Sea Scallops

Wood Grilled Pompano

For the entrees.. New Bedford Sea Scallops Wood Grilled with mushroom risotto and mushroom butter.. it’s a perfectly concieved plate. Creamy Mushroom risotto and succulent grilled Scallops. A great duo of flavors! The second dish? Wood Grilled Pompano with Lump crab, asparagus and lobster butter.. The fish cooked pefectly, the sauce and crabmeat all melded together in perfect harmony.

The restaurant is cool and calm even for being on the brink of Bourbon Street. The service is quick and concise. The food, as you’ve seen above, is fresh and wonderfully flavored. The setting is one of a very comfortable and romantic feel.. A good place to take a date! Parking can be a pain.

And I love their biscuits too! You’ll see what I mean when you try em out.

Overall Rating:   (out of 7 )

www.gwfins.com

and according to their site, there’s a location in Charlotte, NC too! (I guess the Hornets aren’t the only thing the 2 citied have in common)

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New York City, NY

Almost a year spent documenting where and what I eat and I don’t believe I’ve done a “pizza” entry yet..  What better time than now right? And since I’m going to do it, I might as well do it big.. I decided to visit America’s First Pizzeria! Not only is it one of the first but it’s also suppose to be “One of the Best Pizza Joints in the World” or at least New York City, right?! I had to give it a try.. and these are my findings. lol

Outside of Lombardi’s

Inside of Lombardi’s!

Pizza with Italian Meatballs and Wild Mushrooms

Pizza with Pancetta and Pepperoni

Pizza with Spinach and Sweet Sausage

All three pizzas..

I’ve got to say.. it does live up to the hype! The pizzas are soft yet crunchy..the sauce is savory yet sweet and the toppings are just plain delicious. We ordered an Italian Meatballs and Wild Mushrooms.. the meatballs were great and I love mushrooms. (you should have put it on every pizza!). The second was Pancetta and Pepperoni...also very good. The pancetta adds another depth! The last was the Spinach with Sweet Sausage.. I should have just put all 6 toppings on 1 pizza and call it a day! It was all very tasty and the coal burning ovens definitely add to the greatness of these pizzas.

The service was fine and the place was nice. Go for the pizzas and you won’t be let down! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Overall Rating: 1/2  (out of 7 )

www.firstpizza.com

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New York City, NY

On a cold morning in the Big Apple… we ducked into this little coffee bar on East 44th near Grand Central Station. Macchiato is a rather trendy place where you can buy your choice of coffees, teas, and breakfast foods. Being your designated food documentor, I felt obligated to take pictures and report back to you good folks!

Mochachino

Egg, Bacon and Cheese Bagel

Ham and Swiss Croissant

The Mochachino was strong enough to open my eyes and it’s presentation was charming enough to put a smile on my face. As for the breakfast sandwiches.. The Egg, Bacon and Cheese Bagel was warm and tasty but it lacked a little substance. We were a bit shorted on the gutts of the sandwich. The Ham and Swiss Croissant was made in advance so it was as room temp.. but it was actually good! I guess I could imagine what it would have taste like if it were warm and toasty!! Overall.. the service was extremely fast and the coffee and food wasn’t that bad.

Overall Rating: 1/2 (out of 7 )

www.macchiatocafe.com

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New York City, New York


Everytime I visit NYC, I have to eat at Joe’s Shanghai.. And believe it or not this was my very FIRST Chef Eats’ Xanga entry! (Joe’s Shanghai pt. 1) So I guess this place had a little something to do my writing about my eats and travels. I’ve heard some people say that it’s overrated or it’s not all that.. It’s my personal opinion but I feel that it does meet and exceed the expectations! The dumplings are flavorful and delicious… and even though it’s always jam packed, the wait is never too long!

This time around I thought I’d do a little deconstructing of the soup dumplings to give you folks visual of what’s actually being eaten. I obviously  know that my words do it no justice.. haha enjoy! 



Outside Joe’s Shanghai



New Menu??





Is it just me or do they have new menus? Joe’s is getting classy! =)



The Dumplings!




The Broth (if you sit in the center of the restaurant, you get that cool neon reflection in your broth lol)




The Meat




The Wrap


So once you get the dumpling into your spoon, you puncture the the bottom of the wrapper with your chopstick and drain the broth into your soup spoon. There’s plenty of precious liquid, so be very careful not to lose any! Secondly, I usually top the meat and the wrap with their ginger vinegar dipping sauce and eat it just before I sip the broth. It’s very refreshing and delicious!


What do you think of the infamous Soup Dumplings?? Overrated or As advertised?

eat at Joe’s! lol

Overall Rating:      (out of 7 )

yeah I just raised the rating.. I was craving it! haha


www.joeshanghairestaurants.com

New Orleans, La

Happy Mardi Gras!

Yes.. it’s that time of the year again.. Mardi Gras 2008!! For those of you who don’t know, Mardi Gras is the final day of Carnival, though the term is often used incorrectly to describe the days and weeks preceding Fat Tuesday.. according to wiki.. People are drinking, partying and eating the most decadent things on the planet! One of those things? King Cake!

The King of all Cakes… the King Cake! By description, It’s a ring of twisted bread similar to that used in brioche, topped with icing or sugar, usually coloured purple, green, and gold (the traditional Carnival colors) with food colouring. Some varieties have filling inside, the most common being cream cheese followed by praline. Popular bakeries such as Gambino’s, Haydel, and Randazzo, feature original recipes and types of king cakes.

The icing!

The sugar!

The guts!

It’s actually a very delicious cake, if you get it at the right place. (Gambino’s, Haydel, Randazzo.. or other local bakeries around the Big Easy) And being in one of United States’ four Most Unique Cities, New Orleans has a lot of different seasons of celebration that make it very special. (oyster season, crawfish season, Saint’s football season!..)  Now it’s carnival time and the city is alive and kicking! I’m really happy that the city bounced back so well after Katrina.. Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez!! (Let the good times Roll! )

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Any City, World

Hamburger vs. Hot Dog,
If you had to choose one.. Which would it be?

Both are American classics brought over by Europeans back in the day. As we do with everything else, we took it on, claimed it, and made it into our own!

By Definition: (According to Wiki.. I love that site.. lol)

A hamburger (or simply burger) is a sandwich that consists of a cooked patty of ground meat that is fried, steamed, grilled, broiled, barbequed, seared or deep fried and is generally served with various garnish or condiments like ketchup, mustard, mayonaise, lettuce, tomato, onion, relish and cheese toppings, placed inside a sliced bun, often baked specially for this purpose, or pieces of bread or toast.

A hot dog is a type of fully-cooked, cured and/or smoked moist sausage of soft, even texture and flavor. It is usually placed hot in a soft, sliced bun of approximately the same length as the sausage, and optionally garnished with condiments and toppings.

The Hamburger

The Hot Dog

Now that we have all of the formalities out of the way.. Which can you live without? Which do you prefer and why? It’s not one of those timeless questions like “What is the meaning of life?” or “Why the hell can’t I make consistent contact with the golf ball?” (you know what I mean.. haha) I guess being in a country where you have no distinct cuisine, you’re left with only a few things to hold onto. France, Spain, Italy, China, Vietnam and even Mexico all have very defined food cultures. We’re left with the Hamburger and Hot Dog. lol

I would have choose the Hot Dog... It hits the spot for me! Especially on my many trips to NYC and to different ball parks and stadiums. It conjures a lot of nostalgia… So I pass this question onto you..

Hamburger or Hot Dog?

-btw, the photos are from the Comfort Diner and Nathan’s… those entries are on the way! And yes the burger and the hot dog were both really good! =)

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